Sheet-feeding method and machine



Nov. 1.1, 1941. 1 L. ,-MATT'HE 2,261,970

SHEET-FEEDING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed April 6, 1940 by means of soft Patented Nov. 11, 1941 2,261,970 I SHEET-FEEDING IHETHOD AND MACHINE- Louis L. Matthews, Westerly, It. I., assignor to Maxson Automatic Machinery Westerly,

Company,

R. 1., a corporation of Rhode Island Application April 6, 1940, Serial No. 328,367 30 Claims. (01. 271'76) The present invention relates to methods of and machines for feeding sheet material, such as paper and the like. The invention is particularly related to methods'and machines involving high speeds, like those used at paper mills for.

cutting webs from a roll or rolls into sheets, and feeding the sheets, by means of more or less horizontal conveyor tapes, into a lay-boy or other magazine. The sheets are fed by high-speed tapes to low-speed tapes by which they become overlapped, and it is in this overlapped condition that they arrive in the lay-boy.

It has heretofore been customary, in some machines of the above-described character, to provide long narrow stationary metal waving fingers, snapped on to rods disposed between the tapes, with the tops of the fingers slightly above the more or less horizontal line of the tapes, for the purpose of imparting a long lengthwise stiffening wave to the sheets. In this'way, the paper sheets are caused to travel substantially straight lengthwise, permitting their becoming overlapped as they travel from high-speed to low-speed tapes. Without some sort of wave, or other supporting means, the head end of a heavy, sheet will sag down in the middle, causing it to become snubbed against the tail of the previously traveling sheet during the slowing down of the latter by the slow-speed tapes. This is as true of narrow sheets constituted of very soft or limp 30 material as of wide sheets constituted of firmer stock. On certain classes of stock, however,- it is impossible, because of injury to the stock, to drag the p per over metal waving fingers of the above-described character.

. According to the invention illustrated and de scribed in a copending application serial No. 327,860, filed April 4, 1940, the'waving is eflected waving members that move freely with the stock, thereby preventing damage to the stock. Even this expedient, however, is not feasible with paper stocks of particularly delicate nature, and with sheets such as printed sheets, which it is desirable not to wave at all.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved method and machine for bringing the head ends of the oncoming high-speed sheets up out of the way of the tails of the previously fed, slowed-down sheets. A further object is to prevent thetails of the previously fed sheets from becoming positioned in front of the heads of the next-following sheets. other objects will be explained hereinafter and pointed out in the appended will be particularly claims.

The invention will now be explained mor e'fullyJli Inc soft or thin invention is equally applicable to use with in connection with the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which illustratesa preferred embodiment thereof.

A web 3 is illustrated as led from a roll or rolls 50 of paper or similar material between feed rolls 52 and over cutter 4, mounted upon a cutter unit 69. The term web," paper, sheet," or its equivalent, will be employed to denote either a single layer or a plurality of superposed layers of the paper or other material. A rotary cutter B L'operated by mechanism 55, cooperates with the cutter 4 to cut the traveling web into sheets 56. The

viously cut sheets. Owing to the feedingaction of the rolls 52, aided by gravity, the sheets 56 travel at a downward incline toward high-speed conveyor tapes or belts 2, that are mounted over rolls i0 and 65. During such travel, the heads 62 of the sheets may engage a stationary inclined guide board 'l'l, disposed between the cutter 4 and the tapes 2; or a line of sloping or inclinedly disposedtapes (not shown), described in a copending application Serial No. 326,975, filed March 30, 1940. The belts or tapes 2 are disposed approximately horizontal, substantially parallelto the bed knife 6, at a level below the level at which the web is fed between the rolls 52. The belts 2 cooperate with conveyor tapes or belts I that are mounted under roll 8 and arounda roll 58, to feed the sheets, at relatively high speed. to relatively low-speed tapes l2, onl'whic'h. because of the reduction in speed, the sheets become overlapped. The overlapped sheets are ultimately fed, in overlapped relation, into a lay-boy (not wheels upon the. shafts that it turns.

60 tapes 2. It is shown). The tapes 2 and 6 are actuated 'by mechanism 58, acting upon the rolls 66 and GI, desirably at a speed approximately ten per cent faster than the speed of the web 3, as

in the form of a link chain engaging sprocket The roll 8 is shown positionedto the left of the rolls 60 and 88, and the roll 08 is shown raised slightly above the tapes 2 to provide a space in which the tapes 2 and 8 may bite the heads of the oncoming sheets.

A roll 1 may be employed Just back of and close to the roll 68,

between the cutters 4, 54 and the shown rotated at high speed, higher than the speed of the roll 68, by the mechanism Bl, its lower periphery in the direction of travel of the sheet, as indicated by the arrow, to cause it-to engage or take up the tall 61 of each sheet. roll I pulls the tail of each sheet .temporarily a stationary bed knife or pre- determined 40 by the feed rolls 52. The mechanism 58 may be ing rotary knife 54, thus actuating it out of the path of travel of the rotary cutter 56. If the paper becomes hooked on the faster-moving speed is changed sufficient to enable it to pass smoothly over the tail 61 of the previously fed sheet.

According to the present invention. therefore, it is possible to overcome the above-described difllculty without wavingthe heads of the highspeed sheets at all, and to cause them to become overlapped, at lower speed, Preferably flat, merely rotary knife 54, the roll 1, running at fast speed, and deliberately forming a loop 10 between the fast-running roll 1 and the slower-running roll 68, will unhook it. Further description of this roll 1 may be found in a copending application, Serial No. 327,107, filed April 1, 1940.

The low-speed tapes 12 are mounted overa roll 20. Idler rolls 82 and 64 tend to be frictionally driven by the'resp'ective tapes 6 and 12. Th idler roll 82 is integral with a slowing-down roll IQ of smaller diameter. The low-speed tapes 12 are overlapped by and separated from the high-speed tapes 6, as shown. The sheets are engaged on opposite sides by the tapes 2 and 6 at the time that they travel over the roll Ill. The head 62 of each sheet, as it is delivered from between the high-speed tapes 2 and 6, is then caused to travel, lapped over the tall 61 of the prior-fed sheet, between, and unconfined by, the high-speed tapes 6 and the low-speed tapes 12,

over the roll 64 and under the slowing-down by blowing under the head 62 of each sheet while it is still traveling at high speed, and before its change of speed by the low-speed tapes 12.

The air-draft 16 may be produced in any desired way, as by means of a blower, conventionally shown at 13, driven by a motor or in any other desired way, and provided with an adjustable shutter or damper 16 over the central intake hole for regulating the quantity of air in the draft l6. If available, the draft l6 may be supplied from the compressed air line from a mill, or from any other source of air supply.

Modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such are considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as

defined inthe appended claims.

, What is claimed is: v

1. A method of feeding sheets of predetermined length that comprises feeding sheets of the said roll IS. The head of the sheet becomes thereupon engaged between the slowing-down roll I! and the tapes 12, whereupon the speed of advance of the sheet becomes slowed down.

The term slowing-down roll is appliedto the roll l9 because, though it tends to be frictionally driven by the high-speed tapes 6 when no sheet 56 is interposed between the tapes 6 and 12, it is at other times driven at low speed by frictional contact with the sheets 66 below it, as the sheets 56 are themselves driven at low speed at such time.

A small relatively weak air current is directed through a pipe or nozzle 86 vertically upward at l6, in advance of the roll Ill in the line of feed, and to one side, in back of the roll 26. As they leave the high-speed tapes 2, and prior to their arrival upon the low-speed tap'es 12, the heads 62 of the sheets thus receive the air current to cause them to become buoyed upward, out of the way of the tails 61 of the next-preceding sheets. The air current 16 acts upon the heads 62 of the sheets 56 as they pass successively the point where the air-draft I6 operates, just prior to the time when they enter between the tapes 6 and length at relatively high speed, thereafter feeding the said sheets at relatively low speed to cause the sheets to become overlapped in a moving pile, and blowing under the heads of the sheets prior to changing the speed of the said sheets.

2. A method of feeding sheets that comprises feeding a sheet at a predetermined speed past a predetermined point, feeding the sheet at a different speed after passing the point, and blowing under the head of the sheet as itpasses the point.

3. A method of feeding sheets that comprises feeding a pluralityof sheets at a predetermined speedsuccessively past a predetermined point, redueing the speed of the sheets after passing the pointin order that the sheets may become lapped, and blowing under the head of each sheet as it passes the point.

4. A sheet-feeding machine having, in combination, means for feeding a web, means for cut- 12, and prior to the time that the speed of the sheets becomes lowered by engagement of the heads 62 of the sheets with the low-speed tapes 12. Not until the head 62 of the sheet has traveled beyond the influence of the air current I8, therefore, can it curl down. By that time-,-

however, it has traveled over and beyond the tall 61 of the next-previously fed sheet, that has been slowed down by the slow-speed tapes 12.-

means for blowing under the head said oncoming head 62. It should be Just strong enough to stiffen the head 62 of the sheet and hold it stiffened for aperiod ting sheets from the web, means for feeding the cut sheets at relatively high speed, means for thereafter feeding the cut sheets at relatively low speed to cause the cut sheets to become overlapped in a moving pile, and means for blowing under the head of each cut sheet prior to changing its speed.

'5. A sheet-feeding machine having, in combination, means for feeding a sheet at a predetermined speed past a predetermined point, means for feeding the sheet at a diflerent speed after passing the point, and means for blowing under the head of the sheet as it passes the point.

- 6. A sheet-feeding machine having. in combination, means for feeding a plurality of sheets at predetermined speed successively past a predetermined point, means for feeding the sheets at a lower speed after passing the point in order that the sheets may become overlapped, and of each sheet as it passes the point. a

nation, means for feeding sheets at relatively high speed, means for thereafter feeding the sheets at relatively low speed'to cause the sheets to become overlapped in a moving pile, and

f time before its means operable prior to changing the'speedof '1. A sheet-feeding machine having, in combination, sheet of material, a relatively low-speed tape seping, in combination,

- away from the cutting the sheets for supplying air currents to the heads of the sheets.

8. A sheet-feeding machine having, in combia relatively high-speed tape for feeding a arated from and lapped by the high-speed tape to which the sheet is adapted to be fed by the highspeed tape, and means positioned to one side of the high-speed tape for blowing under the heads of the sheets prior to their arrival upon the lowspeed tape.

9. A sheet-feeding machine having, in combination, two relatively high-speed tapes between which a sheet of material relatively low-speed tape high-speed t'apes between high-speed tape the sheet is adapted to be fed by the high-speed tapes, and means positioned in advance of the other high-speed tape in the direction of feed for blowing under the heads of the sheets prior to their arrival upon the lowspeed tape.

10. A' method of feeding sheet material that comprises feeding a sheet over a support, depositing first the head and then successive body portions of the sheet upon the support and, without restraining the tail of the sheet, blowing under the head of a next-following sheet to stiffen it, thereby to prevent the said head of the next following sheet engaging the said unrestrained tail of the prior sheet.

11. A machine of the character described having, in combination, means for cutting a web into sheets, a support, means for feeding the is adapted to be fed, a lapped by one of the which and the said sheets from the cutting means over .the support,

the support being spaced from the cutting means in the direction of feed, and means positioned adjacent to the support and spaced from the cutting means in the direction of feed for blowing under the heads of the sheets prior to their arrival over the support.

12. A machine of the character described having, in combination, means for cutting a web into sheets, a support, a tape disposed below the cutting means for feeding the sheet over the support, means for directing the sheets from the cutting means downward to the tape, the tape extending at an incline to the direction of travel of the sheets from the, cutting means to the tape, and means for thereafter blowing under the heads of the sheets prior to their delivery by the tape over. v the support.

13. A machine of the character describedhaving, in combination, means for cutting a web into sheets, a support, means for engaging the head of each sheet and feeding the sheet away from the cutting means over the'support, and means for thereafter blowing under the head of each sheet prior to its arrival over the support.

14. A machine of the character described havmeans for cutting a web into sheets, a support, two engaging the head of each'sheet and feeding it away from the cutting means over the support,

and means for blowing under the head of eachsheet prior'to its arrival overthe support.

15. A machine of the character described having, in combination, means for cutting a web into sheets, a support, means for the head or each sheet and thereupon feeding the sheet means over the support, means lnclinedly disposed between the cutter and the feeding means for engaging the head, of each sheet prior to its engagement by the feeding cooperating conveyors for over the support, means for pulling upon the tail ends of the sheets to cause them to travel more rapidly than the bodies of the sheets, and means for blowing under the heads of the sheets prior to their delivery over the support.

17. A machine of the character described hav-- ing, in combination, a stationary cutter and a cooperating rotary cutter for cutting a traveling web into sheets, means for actuating the rotary cutter at a peripheral speed greater than the speed of travel of the web, means for pulling upon the tail ends of the 'sheets to actuate them out of the path of travel of the rotary cutter, a

support, means for feeding the sheets after they are-cut over the support. and means for blowing under the heads of the sheets prior to their delivery over the support.

18'. A sheet-feeding machine having, in comrelatively high-speed tapes betweenbination, two which a sheet of material is adapted to be fed, a support over which the sheet is adapted to be fed by the tapes, means for actuating the sup-' port at relatively low speed to cause the sheets to become overlapped on the support in a moving pile, and means. for blowing under the heads of the sheets prior to their arrival upon the support.

19. Amethod of feeding sheets that comprises feeding sheets first at relatively high speed and then at relativelylow speed to cause the sheets to become overlapped in a moving pile, and blowing under the head' of each sheet to stiffen it prior to changing the speed of the sheet.

20. A method of feeding sheets that comprises feeding a plurality of sheets continuously in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed successively past a predetermined point, feeding the sheets continuously in the said direction at a lower speed after passing the point to cause the sheets to become lapped in a moving pile during their continuous feeding in the said direction, and blowing under the head of, each sheet to stiffen it before the speed is changed as the said head of the sheet passes the point.

21. A method of cutting sheets from a web and feeding the so cut sheets that comprises feeding the web, cutting the sheets from the web, feed- I means, and means for blowing under the heads 76 ing the cut sheets at relatively high speed, thereafter feeding the cut sheets at relatively low speed to cause the cut sheets to become overlapped in a moving pile, and blowing underthe heads of the cut sheets prior to changing the speed of the cut sheets.

22. A method of feeding sheets that comprises feeding sheets first at relatively high speed and then at relatively low speed to cause the sheets to. become overlapped and, without restraining the tail of a sheet, blowing under the head of a next-following sheet.

23. A method of feeding sheets that comprises feeding sheets continuously in a predetermined direction first at relatively high speed and then at relatively low speed to cause the sheets to become overlapped in a moving pile during their continuous feeding in the said direction, and, blowing under the head of each sheet prior to changingits speed.

24. a method of feeding sheet material that comprises creating a relatively weak air current at a predetermined point, and feeding a sheet past the point to cause the head of the sheet first to become stiffened by the air current as it passes the point and then to travel beyond the influence of the air current at a time when another portion of the sheet still at the point is under the influence of the air current.

25. A method of feeding sheet material that comprises creating a relatively weak air current at a predetermined point, and feeding a sheet past the point in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction. of the air current to cause the head of the sheet first to become stiflened by the air current as it passes the point and then to travel beyond the influence of the air current at a time when another portion of the sheet still at the point is under the influence of the air current.

26. A method of feeding sheet material that comprises feeding sheets at relatively high speed, supplying air currents to the heads of the sheets down and to feed the sheets further at relatively.

low speed to cause the sheets to become overlapped in a moving pile.

28. A sheet-feeding machine having, in combination, means for feeding sheets at relatively high speed, means for supplying air currents to.

the heads of the sheets to stiflen them, and means for thereafter engaging the heads of the sheets to slow the sheets down and to feed the sheets further at relatively low speed to cause the sheets to become overlapped.

29. A sheet-feeding machine having, in combination, means for creating a relatively weak air current at a predetermined point, and means for feeding a sheetpast the point to cause the head of the sheet first to become stiifened by the air current as it passes the point and then to travel beyond the influence of the air current to stiffen them, and thereafter engaging the heads of the sheets to slow the sheets down and to feed the sheets further at relatively low speed to cause the sheets to become overlapped in a moving pile.

27. A method of feeding sheet material that comprises creating a relatively weak air current at a predetermined point, feeding a plurality of sheets at relatively high speed successively past the point to cause the head of each sheet first to become stiffened by the air current as it passes the point and then to travel beyond the influence of the air current at a time when another portion of the sheet still at the point is under the influence of the air current, and thereafter engaging the heads of the sheets to slow the sheets at a time when another portion'of the sheet still at the point is under the influence of the air current.

30. A sheet-feeding machine having, in combination, means for feeding a plurality of sheets at relatively high speed successively past a predetermined point, means for supplying an air I current at the point to stiffen the head of each sheet as it passes the point, the air current being relatively weak in order that the head of each sheet may travel beyond the influence of the air current at a time when another portion of the sheet still at the point is under the influence of the air current, and means for feeding the sheet at relatively low speed after passing the point to cause the sheets to become overlapped in a moving pile.

LOUIS L. MATTHEWS. 

